The Role of Physiotherapy for Relieving Pelvic Girdle Pain in Pregnancy?
A physiotherapy assessment is crucial in determining the course of treatment and advice for women experiencing PGP. You should consult an experienced Physiotherapist who has expert clinical skills in treating pelvic girdle pain. The physiotherapy examination will establish what pelvic joint, ligament and muscle tissue are not functioning properly. Specific movement testing and specialised clinical tests should l be conducted to discount any problems that may need further medical investigation. Physiotherapy treatment for pregnancy pelvic girdle pain may include one or a combination of the following:
Education
Your physio will provide you with postural correction, from back support whilst sitting to how to improve your movement during everyday activity for example how to carry or lift safely.
Flexibility
Tight muscles require stretching to improve flexibility, and you need to understand which stretches to perform, when and how they should be performed to avoid injury or make a particular condition worse.
Strength
Reducing ligament pain in your pregnant pelvis requires strengthening of weak glutes, lower abdominal and pelvic floor muscles to improve stability of the sacroiliac joint pain, pubic symphysis and spinal joints and your physiotherapist will provide you with safe exercises tailored to your specific needs and abilities.
Core activation
Training of pelvic floor and transversus abdominis muscle is important in developing core muscle support around your pelvis and lumbar spine and your physiotherapist will provide you with exercises safe and appropriate for you.
Heat and Ice Treatments
To alleviate pain or to soften/relax tight muscles prior to treatment or exercise, hot or cold treatments are easy, convenient and cheap, they can be used safely and effectively. You can check out the SRC Femme-Eze Heat and Ice Packs here. Electrical treatments using TENS machines can also be beneficial.
Massage
Soft tissue massage and trigger point release for tight, sore muscle groups is also useful for immediate relief and will often form part of an integrated treatment of Pelvic Girdle Pain.
Many physiotherapists still recommend wearing a pregnancy pelvic belt that needs to be correctly fitted to support the pelvis, especially in severe cases of Pelvic Girdle Pain.
